historic mining

The Copper Mountain (Morenci) mining district is located approximately 115
miles northeast of Tucson, Arizona (Figure 1). It lies along the southern
boundary of the Transitional physiographic province, a rugged mountainous
region that separates the Colorado Plateau from the Basin and Range province. The discovery of copper at Morenci during the turbulent years of the American
Civil War brought new opportunities for many, but foreshadowed the end of a
way of life for Native Americans, who had lived in the region for millennia.
A diverse cast of characters has played a role in Morenci's history,
including veterans who ventured west after the war, as well as immigrants
eager to make a new life in America.

In November 1870, General George Stoneman, the military
commander of the Arizona Territory, erected a small
military camp near the base of Picket Post Mountain
and began construction of a road to the proposed site of
Camp Pinal, a second military post in the Pinal Mountains.
Completed in April 1871, this road meandered north from
Camp Picket Post on Queen Creek about three miles west
of the present town site of Superior to a point along Silver
King Wash; then followed Silver King Wash north to its
junction with Comstock Wash (Figure 1). The road crossed
the Pinal Mountains at “Stoneman’s Grade”, where it
dropped into the upper reaches of the Queen Creek drainage
before emerging just north of Oak Flat and crossing
Devils Canyon before continuing east to Camp Pinal, locatlocated
near the present day community of Top of the World.
Shortly after the Camp Grant Massacre of April 30, 1871,
General Stoneman was relieved of command and replaced
by General George Crook, who subsequently abandoned
Camp Pinal in July 1871 (Machula, 1996a).

This bibliography provides references for each known metallic mineral district in Gila, Maricopa, Pinal,
and Yavapai Counties in Arizona. In a mineral-district classification, known metallic mineral occurrences are
grouped according to geologic and metallogenic criteria rather than the geographic associations used in the
traditional mining-district approach (Keith and others, 1983a). Ideally, a mineral district should consist of
mineral occurrences that have a common genesis. A mineral-district classification is especially useful for
understanding the geologic setting of mineralization and the distribution of known mineral occurrences with
similar geologic settings. A mineral-district map, however, is by no means a statement of mineral potential
because future mineral discoveries within and outside established districts will affect district boundaries.
Although understanding the distribution of known mineral deposits is essential in evaluating mineral
potential, many other geologic and technological factors must also be considered (Fellows, 1984).
This circular is the fourth in a series of county-by-county bibliographies for metallic mineral districts
in Arizona. This circular and those previously published (Schnabel and others, 1986; Schnabel and Welty,
1986a,b) are based upon the work of Keith and others (1983b), but provide a more usable format and more
comprehensive reference lists than the latter publication.

Publication Date

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